Technical Animator (Contract)

JOIN THE CARBONATED TEAM! Carbonated is a passionate game studio founded in 2015 by industry veterans from EA, Sony, and Zynga. We are backed by top-tier partners like a16z, Bitkraft, and Com2Us. Our culture is centered around a love for the craft and a drive to innovate. We are looking for individuals who share our key values: Talent, Attitude, and Fearless Curiosity. We’re currently working on an undisclosed streaming video game along the lines of a PC/PS4 quality game with one of the biggest streaming companies in the world. THE ROLE: TECHNICAL ANIMATOR We are seeking a Technical Animator who lives at the intersection of high-fidelity art and systems architecture. You’ll be responsible for bringing our "Gun Fu" combat to life, ensuring that every melee strike and firearm transition feels weighty, responsive, and seamless. WHAT YOU’LL DO • Combat Mastery: Create and refine high-fidelity animations for in-game player characters, specifically focusing on realistic melee and firearm sequences. • Systems Integration: Work closely with engineers to implement animation state machines/animgraphs, node based editing, blend trees, and IK/FK systems within the game engine. • Scripting, Tooling & Automation: Develop Maya/Python scripts to automate repetitive tasks and optimize the animation export pipeline. • Rigging: Maintain and improve character rigs to support complex combat mechanics and deformation requirements. • MoCap Pipeline: Own the motion capture pipeline, from cleaning raw data from various sources to retargeting and hand-keying secondary motion to ensure a "AAA" feel. We have existing tools to process but are looking for improvement. WHO YOU ARE • Experience: 3+ years in game animation with a portfolio that emphasizes weight, timing, and realistic human kinetics. • Technical Proficiency: Strong understanding of technical animation constraints (looping, state transitions, bone counts, and optimization). • Engine Savvy: Proficient in working within modern game engines (O3DE, Unreal, or Unity) to troubleshoot animation behavior in-game. • AI-Forward: Comfortable utilizing generative AI tools to accelerate the pipeline, from initial blocking to refining complex motion data. • Collaborative: A proactive communicator who can bridge the gap between Art and Engineering. BONUS POINTS • Physics: Experience with ragdoll setups and physical animation blending. • Engine Logic: Familiarity with Lua or similar scripting languages for gameplay-triggerred animations. • Education: BFA in Fine Arts or a related technical field. • Agile: Experience working in a fast-paced, Scrum-based environment. • Culture: A sense of humor (we have a high tolerance for dad jokes!). SOUND LIKE YOU? • Please send your resume, portfolio link, and cover letter to [email protected].